The Sister Clan
by ShadowGryphyn
Summary: Kel is forced to leave after her year, and is taken in by a mysterious fighting group in the forests of Tortall. When she comes out and is the only one who can stop the oncoming battle, what will the palace people do with her? AbhorsenTP Xover
1. I'll be back, I promise

**The Embassy**

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This is really the same text as the original first chapter, just reformatted, I think. Sorry for the delay, I'm just to lazy to set up chapters from my full document.

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Chapter One: Good-bye Kel

"I cannot allow you to stay. You should go home and save your life before no respectable family will take you as a wife. You are dismissed." Lord Wyldon looked at the girl sitting across from him. Keladry of Mindelan stood from her seat and looked down at him.

"You will soon come to regret this day. The day you made me leave." she said, her voice ice cold, before turning on her heel and walked swiftly out of his office without even pausing to bow. She made it to her room and was almost done packing before her trembling knees and the force of the rejection caused her to fall asleep on her feet. She swayed upright for a second before collapsing in a heap on the floor. Neal, in his room down the hall, heard the thud and raced to see what it was. He heard the sparrows and their frightened attempts to get out Kel's door before running to find Salma.

After several minutes of begging, Neal finally convinced Salma to let him in. When he walked into Kel's room the first thing he saw was Kel's lifeless body sprawled out on the floor. Soon after he noticed her mostly packed trunks and realized what had happened. Letting a single tear to fall, Neal was sentimental, he realized belatedly how much she had come to mean to him in the past year. He placed a finger to her forehead to wake her and Kel came to in a flutter of lashes. She looked up at Neal, and her eyes widened in shock, before she turned away and started to cry. Neal, startled by her sudden display of emotion, reacted by rolling her back towards him and raising her torso so she was leaning on his shoulder and chest, sobbing. Several minutes had passed before her tears dried up. "Thanks, Neal."

"No problem Kel. Is he really sending you away?"

"Yes, but don't worry. I know where I'm going, the people there said I get to take Peachblossom with me, and I'll be back."

"That irritable horse won't be much comfort. Promise you'll come back?"

"I promise. And don't worry, I'll be back for your ordeal. When I come back I'll be very different, but it will be a good different. And you know I don't forget details." Kel put a grin on her face. "And besides, if I don't come back, who will make you eat your vegetables?" Neal smiled.

"I know. I'll tell our friends."

"Thanks, and Neal?"

"Yeah?"

"When my parents come tomorrow, can you show them where my trunks are? They know where I'm going and to go I can only bring a set of saddle bags."

"No problem Kel. No problem at all." Kel hoisted her now packed saddlebags on her shoulders and walked out to the stables with Neal. Stephan stood there with a saddled Peachblossom and Neal looked on as Kel attached her saddlebags and mounted up. "Promise you won't forget Kel?"

"I promise. I'll be back." And with that Kel pulled away and rode Peachblossom towards the gates. Just before she reached them two figures with long blond hair and long white robes pulled out of the shadows of the gate to ride on either side of her. The three riders galloped out the castle gates and out of the city on to Kel's next great adventure.


	2. New Family

The Sister Clan

Chapter Two: Naming

Yes- I have edited this based on comments- please read it or the rest of the story won't make any sense…

Unbeknownst to her, Kel was to spend the six years only a day's ride from Port Caynn, on the sea partway to Blue Harbor. She was to be baptized with a charter mark and taught charter magic. She learned the skills of an acrobat, and continued her education in staffs, bows, swords, and unarmed fighting. She learned to fly their fantastic machines called paperwings, and how to make them. She learned to fight in the ceramic fish- scale armor, called gethre. She learned how to wear the arm guards, use them to deflect sword blows, and how to use them to crush and enemy's nose or, if necessary, their scull. Most importantly, she learned how to fight in the ceremonial white robes, how to get the robe off quickly, and how to set her dress so the guards wouldn't show. She also expanded her prior knowledge from all the places she had been and learned to do new tricks. The only difference was that now magic was important in all she did, even if the fighting itself was magic-less.

Summer 455 H.E.

1"Kel, come here! Keira Firestone the Shang Phoenix has come!" Kel came running over to her two best friends. Ana, who had called her, was just her age, and her silent shadow was Kara, a girl with red hair and just a year younger than themselves; thought she had started training with them at the same time. Ana and Kara made a right pair standing next to one another. Ana was as dark as a person can possibly be, while Kara was very pale and white, even under the sun; Kel herself was a tan color somewhere in the middle of the two. And yet, despite their differences, the girls were the best of friends. The trained together and the only time they were apart was when one of them managed to hurt themselves in practice and had be healed. They'd been training for four years, and as they had learned all their teachers could teach them, the Shang Phoenix had been called in to help the over- achievers. "She just arrived from Chorus, where she taught the pages in Eda Bell's place." Kel was surprised at this last statement but her mask went in place. She still had a mask, though it was thinner from years of disuse. Nowadays her mask was a clever disguise to cover her true feelings. She'd found that having a face completely devoid of emotion had a tendency to make people nervous. Ana and Kara however both knew her well enough by now to know when she was faking it- and they knew her past and why she tried to fake her mask.

"Don't you want to know how your friends are doing Kel?" Kara asked as they walked back along the wooded path to the training area.

"I suppose so, but I'm not sure if I want to know if they don't miss me."

"If they were really your friends, and from what you've told me they were, they'll miss you Kel."

"I know."

"Hello girls." Ana and Kara jumped high into the air and looked about wildly for the source of the voice, everywhere but up. Kel grinned and looked up, she'd seen the person in the tree. "Really girls," came the voice from the tree they were standing under. She looked at Kel, "Your name is Kel, right?" Kel nodded, "good job."

"Thank you."

"You have good reactions, you two however-" She trailed off. Both girls looked properly ashamed for all of two seconds then they started to grin.

"Blonde moment," they chorused. Kel rolled her eyes, watching as the Shang Phoenix dropped out of the tree.

"What do we call you?" She asked.

"Keira's fine." She looked thoughtful, "Kel, you might not be Keladry of Mindelan would you?"

"Yes, that's I; I hear you just arrived from Chorus."

"You want news of your friends, don't you?"

"Yeah, they'd be forth year pages through second year squires this season."

"I know, they all missed you, you know. Neal missed you especially; though you were a constant ache in the hearts of everyone, even if they didn't say it aloud. Someone would do something really well, and someone would comment, and they'd all get down. They all thought very highly of you, I hope you're as good as they said you are. I'd hate for you to be a let down; though the mere fact that I was called to help is good on its own."

"I hope I don't let you down."

"We'll try not to either!" Came a pair of voices from behind.

"Good, lets' get to work then."

Fall 457 H.E. – Spring 458 H.E.

"Girls, you were supposed to be at magic class several hours ago!" Cried an irate Yasmine, "honestly, you'll never become healers if you keep practicing to all hours of the night!"

"Sorry-" cried three female voices. "We're coming!"

"I know girls, but you must also always remember, you cannot save everyone, and everyone and everything has a time to die. It will come sooner for some than others, but it comes for everyone." It was three subdued girls that answered her,

"We know." And yet, they didn't know, because that midwinter of 457, one of the female elites training to be a healer finally snapped under the strain of watching others die, and killed herself. When she was found by the trio, she was so far gone they couldn't do anything. Everyone expected students to die in training, their work was that hard, but everyone had loved Susan, and one of the male elites, Alexander, took her suicide really hard and in his efforts to ward off the grief, over-worked himself and died from exhaustion. To loose two of their number within two weeks was exceptionally difficult and all of the students threw themselves into training, but all of the teachers had very watchful eyes on every one of them. Very few of the elites laughed in the months that followed, and it wasn't until about a month before Kel, Kara, and Ana's ordeal that anyone had really started to laugh again, and for every genuine laugh, there were two force ones.

Midwinter 458-459 H.E.

"Come on girls! Last set and you're done for the day" Called Yasmine, the training master. She smiled as each of the young women did a final spin, flip and turn to land facing her. The girls, known as Kel, Ana and Kara had all been best friends since they met nearly six and a half years ago when they all came to the school. The school itself was a place for serious students whom, by right of birth, possessed magic and were therefore unable to join the ranks of the Shang, or for those who wanted to learn magic. The motley group of people was called The Dracaena Elite, and the students were Elite-in-training. Yasmine smiled to herself; the three girls in front of her were ready for their namings. The Elites in general were a not-as-well known kin fighting force to the Shang warriors (it was where the Shang masters sent the children they felt could have had great potential, if only they didn't have magic), and a sister clan to the Seers that lived in the great glacier on the other side of the Chitral Path in the Old Kingdom; in the land of year round snow farther north than even Sarain. If you followed the path north past Chitral's cave you would find yourself in the Old Kingdom, where magic was as common as the people themselves, and those who were dead didn't always stay that way.

The girls though, were all eighteen years of age, with a dancer's hard muscled body. Kel was tall, the tallest, and Kara was the shortest, standing nearly a head below Kel. Ana was about half way in between the two, and liked it there. They had made more progress in the six and a half years they had been at the school than most people made ten or more. Kel's previous training had helped with that, teaching her friends her old tricks in their spare time, and they all helped each other in practice. They all had backgrounds that were painful, yet they had had the courage to tell each other, even if the only person outside their circle who knew was Yasmine as to the full details of their respective pasts. The idea was that when you came to the school, who you had been didn't matter anymore; it was who you would become. The elders knew everyone had a history, but as long as it didn't interfere with training, they didn't care- just so long as you didn't kill anyone.

Due to the incredible skill of the three girls, the council decided that they were ready to be tested, despite their young ages. Yasmine informed the girls of this the previous day, and starting that evening they were to begin the ritual, which consisted of a purification bath, a dinner of greens, and quiet mediation all through the night. In the morning each would walk through the magickal fire and emerge with a sign branded on her arm, which would be her title.

Yasmine hugged the sweaty girls in front of her. "Alright; you know the drill, go wash. I'll bring your suppers to you later. No speaking between now and tomorrow morning." They nodded and left.

The next morning they were drowsy, but ready when Yasmine came for them. As they approached the elders and the fire, Yasmine left the girl's side to stand on the other side of the fire. One at a time they walked up to the bridge that crossed the fire and stopped, just before the fire. The ringing voice of the elders called across the flame to where each stood,

"Keladry, Karianda, Ana, if you promise to uphold our laws of courtesy and the laws of the land of Tortall, The Old Kingdom, or any other country you may visit on you travels, and swear to defend all people, rich or poor when they call for help or if you see evidence of wrongdoing, come forth through the fire so that you may join the ranks of the Dracaena Elite." Each took a deep breath, they looked at each other and grabbed hands and walked together up over the bridge, through the fire and out the other side. Over Kel's shoulder blades and down onto her left bicep a large hot spot burned painfully, before the pain faded just as quickly as Kel stepped out of the fire. Kara had pain burn over her left shoulder and down her left arm. Ana felt her right bicep burn painfully as the fire came over it and onto her shoulder. Yasmine caught the girls as they stumbled, and almost fell, before righting themselves with the help of the others. Lifting Kel's sleeve, Yasmine found to her surprise that the girl's mark was that of a dragon, and it was not just on one side of her body as all the others were, but continued up over both of her shoulders. It was so large in fact, that she had to have Kel take her shirt off to reveal her breast band and the remainder of the tattoo. Yasmine's eyes widened in shock;

"Know one, know many, the Dracaena Maxima is born again." Those in the crowd voiced their shock with muttering, Kel was the highest warrior in three centuries, but that unfortunately also meant that a great war was about to begin again, and she would have the ultimate responsibility. Traveling next to Kara she looked at her arm to see a bright snake tail curling up her arm, wrapped around her shoulder and the head came over her shoulder to sit on the girl's collar bone. "Know one, know many, Karianda of Queenscove, the Dracaena Serpenta, is admitted to our ranks." More whispers circulated through the crowd, two of the three, would the mystics of old be reborn? Finally Ana's mark was examined. It was a Phoenix, the tail curled around her arm and body wrapped around the side of her shoulder. "Know one, know many, Ana Wagne, the Dracaena Phoenix is admitted to our ranks." The elders spoke;

"Well, well, well, it appears that we have legends in our midst again. The three of you have broken through several obstacles and trained relentlessly to get where you are today. Be proud of your accomplishments, but remember your responsibilities. Welcome to our ranks, Tertia Aditi." Whispers ran through the crowd of people, the Aditi very strong and very powerful, the three on which the balance hung. The girls all straightened unconsciously as they heard their title.


	3. Lessons for a King

The Sister Clan

Chapter Three: Embassys and Lessons fit for a king

And guess what, I even gave you another chapter!

Two hundred miles away from the newly appointed Tertia in the Old Kingdom an unusual Embassy was gathering and preparing to set sail from the Clayr's Glacier to go to Tortall. The Embassy included two twin Clayr called Sanar and Ryelle, a Wallmaker named Sam, a sarcastic white cat called Mogget, an Abhorsen-in-waiting and Remembrancer named Lirael and the new cat-creature thing that had happened when Lireal had tried to make a cat-sending. It was a black cat with purple eyes who talked just as Mogget did, out loud and in an incredibly annoying voice, though he also made realistic sounding cat noises that only Lirael could understand. He was incredibly strange and was therefore named Dyrim. They were to take a large ship from the Clayr's under ground docks, with three paperwings stowed below.

2 weeks later . . .

One bright morning, two weeks after their induction, Kel stood with Kara and Ana on one of the main docks at Port Caynn. The ship that carried the envoy from the Old Kingdom was in the harbor and coming in to dock. Kel stood where she was, Peachblossom's reigns in one hand and the leads for the four horses she had brought with her in the other, patiently waiting for the boat to dock, Kara and Ana standing behind her with their horses, Jeah and Heshee, respectfully. Eventually, the boat pulled up and the four humans and their two cats disembarked, their paperwings were unloaded and stowed in the gypsy cart that would be pulled by Peachblossom.

"Greetings to you all. I am Kel, to my left is Kara and Ana is on my right. We are the Aditi." The folk smiled. Sanar spoke for the group.

"Thank you, Kel, and greetings to Kara and Ana. I am Sanar, my twin is Ryelle, the dark haired girl is Lirael, and the boy is Sam. The black cat is Dyrim and the white one is Mogget."

"Welcome all." Said Kara, "Let's see," she pondered looking at Sanar, "you and Ryelle must be the Clayr? Welcome to Tortall. And Lirael must be the Remembrancer and Abhorsen- in- waiting, and Sam is the Wallmaker, correct? A double welcome to all of you." Ana smiled and stepped forward,

"Now, if each of you could choose a horse, we must proceed directly to Corus, the Capital, fore I fear the danger is closer than any of us believe." The Clayr nodded.

"Agreed," Said the twins. "But one last question?" That was Ryelle, whose voice; Kel noticed was half a pitch higher than Sanar's.

"Yes?"

"What is the time of year here?" The three looked at one another for a moment and answered with matching Cheshire grins,

"Today is the fall equinox." As each of the people mounted a horse, two with cats over their shoulders, Kel mounted the seat on the top of the gypsy cart she had attached to Peachblossom and off they went on the half- days ride to Corus. As they pulled out, Kel muttered, "Although it would help if they remembered who I was," and she chuckled. "I left enough of an impression. They won't have forgotten me." If any one heard, they didn't mention it.

It was mid afternoon when the party rode over the last hill outside the city and the four newcomers gasped at the sight. The palace was bathed in the golden light of the afternoon sun, turning the windows gorgeous colors and golden sun was playing on the practice courts where they could just make out some people practicing.

Kel watched as a rider went flying, and smiled. "They must be jousting…" she said.

Kel bared her teeth in a wolfish grin. "Time to show them up and show them how wrong they were in sending me away." By this time the travelers had each told the abbreviated version of their lives' tales. "Right after we tell them their lives are in danger," she paused and pasted a thoughtful look on her face before grinning evilly. "I love scaring people, don't you?" Her grin widened. "I mean, we can't have them thinking I'm a wuss now can I?" The others grinned, they knew the pressure at the Dracaena school, and the perfection demanded. The girls would be the ideal warriors, and was wonderful people.

Riding through the city behind Peachblossom Kel realized that they should be in their special robes. Whispering to Peachblossom to go straight to the Palace, Kel climbed in through the top of the cart and changed, tossing Kara and Ana's robes at them, and putting on her arm guards as she went.

Redressed, she went to go sit back on her perch to find they were all the way up to the palace and waiting for her was a small group of the last people she would have expected to have waiting for her, and in her surprise she tripped over the bar of the seat and fell off the cart. Instinctively Kel rolled her body and executed a perfect flip so she landed on her feet. Back on two legs, Peachblossom looked at her as if to say, "What did you do that for?" Finally, Kel looked up at the people who had startled her so much, and also noticed that while three of her guests were standing wearily off to the side next to their horses, Lirael had abandoned her horse to run over to a smaller girl with dark black hair much the same as Lirael's own.

"Irnai! However did you get here?" Sanar and Ryelle looked at each other before coming over themselves.

"I walked." Replied the girl, as if walking several hundred miles was the most natural thing in the world. "After I left that sorry excuse of a glacier, I went north, propelled by my visions. Eventually I got here, and was able to tell the vision to those that mattered." She looked behind her. "These two;" She indicated two of the women behind her. "Who dragged me about to tell the other two, and those last two," she indicated the Shang warriors, "happened to be nearby the second time."

"It is you milady!" Interrupted Stephan, who was very excited to see Kel again. "I didn't think Peachblossom would take another rider but I could hardly believe you were back until I saw ye for myself!" Kel smiled.

"Thank-you Stephan. Could you take care of Peachblossom and the other horses please? I also need to make sure no one goes anywhere near the cart either." The small man nodded happily and took charge of the seven horses and the cart.

"No problem. I'll just put the cart over here behind the stables."

"Thanks."

Kara, behind Kel, whispered to Ana, "This place hasn't changed much, has it?"

"No," replied Ana, "it hasn't." Kel however, ignored her friends comments and continued to speak.

"The cart is spelled shut so no one should be able to open it but I don't want to have anyone mad at me for their own stupidity." Stephan looked at her inquiringly and the three girls all grinned. "The lock is booby trapped. Won't tell you how until someone tries to open it and the results are so very, very funny. It happened once on the way here. That was great fun! For us at least, not for the poor bandit..." Kel trailed off, and looked at the four of the embassy standing next to her, with Irnai, and the four women in front of her, and groaned, staring pointedly at Irnai. "And I didn't want to make a fuss with my coming back." She grinned as her friends and the Embassy group laughed. Queen Thayet stepped forward, followed closely by Alanna the Lioness, Daine the Wildmage, and Buri Tourokam, chief of the Queen's Riders. Also present were Eda Bell, the Shang Wildcat and Haukin Seastone, the Shang Horse.

"Keladry, does this booby trap have anything to do with the man whom we found hanging from the ceiling in the great hall, wearing a green dress with the words 'stupid bandit' on his forehead?" Asked Thayet.

"Absolutely! I thought it was absolutely brilliant myself. Although, now that we're at the palace, the spell is set to write 'stupid sneak thief' instead." She cried jubilantly. Alanna spoke,

"Very impressive save Kel; and good job on your title by the way, all of you actually though I don't believe I know you." Kel stared open mouthed at Alanna, who grinned. "What, did you honestly think I would allow the first girl page to disappear and I wouldn't find out where you went? Raoul, Thayet and I followed your wonderful exploits and all of us," she gestured to the surrounding group, "want to see those contraptions your friends brought. Although you may have to make more so the university at Carthak can have one and the City of the Gods will want one too…" She said thoughtfully. Kel just smiled.

"That is entirely possible, although it probably won't happen for a while. After all, we have the issue for which the others are here." Kel indicated her guests, as Dyrim jumped down from where he had been sitting, his usual perch under Lirael's left ear.

"Ladies, Sir, May I introduce the embassy from the Old Kingdom? The twins are Sanar and Ryelle, and these two are Lirael and Sameth. The white cat, which must be hiding in Sam's pack is Mogget and that cat," she pointed at Dyrim, who was sitting very still by Alanna's feet, "is Dyrim." Everyone looked down at Dyrim who looked straight up at Alanna, who screamed, and promptly fell on her butt.

"Faithful! But wait, you're dead!"

"That explains a lot, don't you think Sam?" Lirael's voice came from Kel's left. "Since I seem to have an affinity of creating animals of rather surprising origin? Who have usually died at least once already?"

"Yeah, it would. That tends to happen a lot to us." Said Sam, they both looked at the cat who was now sitting in Alanna's arms, Alanna having recovered enough from her shock to stand up again, "although that cat is dead meat."

"NO!" cried Dyrim, in perfect common. Six sets of eyes stared at him as seven more rolled. "My name is Dyrim. NOT dead meat and NOT stupid. I have, however, been known as Pounce and Faithful among other names." He then proceeded to wash himself. Lirael stepped forward.

"I thought we told you to stay quiet here." she looked in at the cat in Alanna's arms-

"Since he screwed up first, can I come out now?" called a sarcastic voice in Sam's pack. The four from the Kingdom looked at each other and at Kel and rolled their eyes.

"Can't stay quiet for long, now can you?" Asked Sanar.

"Nope. It is my job to assist the Abhorsen, or in this case the Abhorsen- in- waiting. Not be quiet, and not hide in packs."

"Fine, come out then."

"Good." Said the little white cat as he climbed out of the pack to sit on Lirael's right shoulder. "The sardine can from yesterday is starting to stink by the way." Lirael grimaced.

"Brilliant. Just bloody brilliant." She said as she went to retrieve the offending can. "Better, you Majesty?" she asked scathingly. Mogget nodded as Sam looked at Lirael surprised. Apparently she had picked up more that a few things from Nick in the time they had been dating.

"Lirael!" Exclaimed the twins.

"What?"

"Don't say," put in Sanar,

"Bloody." Finished Ryelle. Thayet coughed, reminding Kel where they were. She spoke.

"Alright then, since you six know where I've been, and what my title is, then I assume you know what it means?"

"Unfortunately yes, or rather Eda informed us after Alanna heard about your title." Daine had finally spoken. Kel looked thoughtfully at Eda while Kara smiled.

"That's right, Yasmine said you would know."

"Old Yazzy's still teaching? Gods, she taught me!"

"We know. She told us so." commented Kara.

"Unfortunately Alanna, there is no time for exhibitions right now, we have to save the world, again. But, in the meantime, I have to find King Jonathan. Any idea where I might happen upon him?" inquired Kel, while Kara visibly elbowed her in the ribs from her place to the left. "Sorry, everyone, these are Kara and Ana." Kara elbowed Kel again. Kel looked at her and raised and eyebrow and got a pair of raised eyebrows in return. "Oh yeah!" Kara slapped her forehead with the heel of her palm. "We need to find Neal as well."

"You'll find Jon in the training yards, to see the Squires who will take their ordeals this year, and if my timing is correct, it should be Neal's turn right now." Kel grinned wolfishly at Haukin.

"One more question."

"Ask away."

"Where might I find a large amount of vegetables?"

"Behind the kitchen, that's where the kitchen staff stores them. Why?" Kel merely shook her head, grinning.

"You're not going to do what I think you're going to do, are you Kel?"

"Why ever would you say that my dear Ana?"

"You've got that glint in your eyes again." She shared a knowing look with Kara, who nudged Lirael who looked at Sanar, who poked Ryelle, who shook Sam out of his stupor and looked at him. He got the message. 'Stay back unless you want to be forced to take an afternoon bath.'

Kel watched this out of the corner of her eyes and grinned before fully turning

around and saying, "Alrighty, time to go to the training yards my duckies." Kel led Sanar,

Ryelle, Lirael, and Sam to the training yards with her little entourage of castle women and Haukin following. Somewhere along the way, the twelve others behind Kel noticed a shadow cast over them, looked up, and laughed. When Kel came to where Lord Wyldon and King Jonathan were watching a sword demonstration by Neal, Kel couldn't help herself. She jumped up to stand on the fence, balanced on a post, as she carefully magically maneuvered her pile of rotted vegetables over Neal's, Jonathan's and Wyldon's heads.

"Oi Neal!" She called as she gently used her magic to pluck the boy's sword from his grasp, before she let her muck pile drop from the sky. "Heads Up!" At the last minute before impact, Kel placed bubbles around her three victims, so they didn't get covered in muck, only the ground around them did, with a small path from her to Neal. She executed a perfect front flip down and in a rather sing song voice, she screamed, from her spot directly behind him, "I had really hoped you'd have eaten your vegetables even without me!" Neal turned with a squeak, his hand flying out as if he still held his sword, and as Kel back flipped away from him so as to not get hit by his flailing arms. Neal, a gigantic grin on his face, dropped his hands and vaulted over the fence to grab Kel in a rather enthusiastic hug before letting go and finally looking at her friends in the Embassy, who were rolling their eyes at Kel's antics and finally the pair of girls who had come up to stand next to Kel. He looked back at Kel, and then did a double take. He looked at Kel, her attire, and back at the other two. His eyes widened- his vice when he found it, was full of awe.

"We'd heard the stories of course, but never did I associate them with you!" Anyone actually watching could tell the comment was mostly directed at the short pale girl with red hair.

"Why?" she questioned, "because I didn't want to fit into that cute mold mother made for me and went against tradition? Or is it because I ran way at nine because I didn't want to go to that idiotic convent? Well sourpuss, buckle up because the weakest has become the strongest brother dear." The watching crowd drew a collected shocked breath and waited for Nealan of Queenscoves reaction. When it came it was not what they had expected. He wrapped his arms around the girl and said,

"Kara, I wouldn't have wanted it any other way." He addressed Kel, "How on earth did you do that?" He said, referring to her back flips. "And who are they?" He pointed to the Embassy.

Kara grabbed Neal's finger, "I know mama taught you it was rude to point." Neal laughed and Kel had to wait for him to stop before she could answer his question.

"Special training, special people; and practice my dear boy, six and a half mortal years of practice in all weathers."

By this time Lord Wyldon had come over picked his way over through the sludge and so had the King. "And who, my dear, are you?" Asked Wyldon. Kel grinned evilly.

"What Lord Wyldon? You don't remember me? Oh too bad, I told you that you would regret the day you sent me away. Do you remember now? No, perhaps the name Keladry of Mindelan rings a bell?" It did as Kel could readily see by the way his face went pale. Jon's face had gone slightly pale as well once she told them who she was. Just then, Alanna and Thayet came up behind Kel.

"Jon," said Thayet, "tell Kel you're sorry for sending her into his," she glared at Lord Wyldon, "clutches. And then, you are going to go with us to your study and Kel will see her parents and then we will have a discussion involving those four," she nodded at Sanar and Ryelle, Lirael and Sam, "their charming kitties and the up- coming war that can only be stopped by the girl-page-child you let him," she glared at Wyldon again, "send away. It is such a good thing that some people have the foresight to plan for the worst."


	4. The War is Coming

"Jon," said Thayet, "tell Kel you're sorry for sending her into his," she glared at Lord Wyldon, "clutches. And then, you are going to go with us to your study and Kel will see her parents and then we will have a discussion involving those four," she nodded at Sanar and Ryelle, Lirael and Sam, "their charming kitties and the up- coming war that can only be stopped by those three; including the girl-page-child you let him," she glared at Wyldon again, "send away. It is such a good thing that some people have the foresight to plan for the worst."

"This is all as wonderful as spring flowers," drawled Kel, "but in the meantime I need Alanna to fetch Raoul, Myles, and Numair; and meet my crew and me, along with these two oafs, Roald, Neal, Daine, Buri, Eda and Haukin in half an hour somewhere." She turned to the King, and said, "There's a war coming, and you need us to stop it."

"The world as you know it may end." intoned Sanar and Ryelle, their voices having taken on the air of one who knew the future. "Hedge's brother Carcerous will join with the second most powerful black robe mage, a man called Duan. They have denizens from the seventh precinct and the mordicants on their side. They will promise any spirits who join them eternal life under the sun, and the spirits will believe them, such is the power under their control." The vision released them and they swayed on the spot before being steadied by Lirael and Kel. Kel was muttering under her breath.

"Great, this just keeps getting better and better." Out loud she said, "And we didn't hear this before, why?"

"We just had the vision with the help of the glacier. The trouble is coming much quicker than we had guessed." King Jonathan finally found his voice.

"Well, if this is going to affect my people I want to know all about this." Wyldon still looked dubious, but followed Jonathan as the group filed into the Castle. "Oh, and Keladry?"

"Yes, Sire?"

"I want to know where on earth you went as I know you didn't go to Shang," he glared at the two Shang following them, "and what my Glorious Queen meant when she said you are the only ones who can stop this coming war." They had reached the King's study. A page was walking by, Jon stopped him. "I need you to find me Gareth of Naxen the Younger and have him come here as quickly as possible. Also, in the Great Hall you will find Baron Piers and Ilane of Mindelan. Bring them here." He gave the boy a silver noble for his trouble and sent him on his way. Turning back to the group he raised his eyebrows. "Is there any particular reason why your parents knew to be here today Keladry?"

"Of course! Couldn't have everyone spread all over the country when I came back now could I? I wrote my parents weeks ago, to tell them when to expect me, and to wait for me at the castle, on the fall equinox!" Kel replied brightly. Just then her parents and Gareth walked in, and Kel was enveloped in a hug from her parents.

"Welcome home Kel. Now, let's see that mark of yours. I hear it is supposed to be very elaborate!"

"Oh, it's elaborate all right." Kel unzipped the zipper on the front of the white robe, and took it off, to reveal loose, but form fitting black pants that fell to her knees, with a light emerald colored dance wrap skirt. She also wore a tight black tank top that showed off her curves and an elbow length red shirt that covered her shoulders and came to tie under her chest, with her fish-scale arm guards from the elbow down. Presently, she untied the knot that was holding the long sleeve sweater shirt to her body, and removed it to bare the back of her shoulders and her left bicep where the tattoo started. Everyone gasped and right then Alanna walked in with Raoul and Myles. Alanna nodded in appreciation. Kel glared at Kara and Ana from across the room until they were forced to come over and show their marks.

"Very nice, girls; I have to say- very nice indeed."

"Thank you, but we have business to attend to; the small matter of the army approaching your borders as we speak." Myles interrupted her.

"There are no armies, Kel."

"Yes there are; they approach in the realm of Death, our Death, not your peaceful realms."

"This has happened before to your realm." Lirael's voice was quiet as she looked at the group surrounding her, and yet nothing at all.

"It was in the year one BHE, the reason why the numbering started over. The dead had allied with Chlorr of the Mask, then a necromancer of two hundred years. She allied herself with the King of the country that was once Barzun, the area that is now the lower part of Tortall. They planned to kill all royal lines to the thrones in Tortall, Tusaine, Maren and Sarain; together they would rule the world. Only one person was able to stop them, the Dracaena Maxima of the time, a woman named Kelsai. She stopped the invasion and was the hero of the lands. This was only the first attempt, for it was supposed to happen again, just less than twenty years ago, at your crowning sire. Duke Roger, your cousin, allied himself with the once Kerrigor, originally known as Rogirrek, although that story must be told another time. Yet, they allied together and were stopped, not by the Dracaena Maxima, but by Sam's mother, my half sister, Sabriel, the current Abhorsen, and by the lady with red hair and purple eyes, the Alanna of, now, Pirates Swoop and Olau, when she killed Duke Roger. This was important because even though her twin Lord Thom undid her work, by the time Roger was brought back to life, Kerrigor was enslaved and entombed within the great barriers of the Abhorsen's house. Roger still tried to complete the plan, starting by killing the King of Tortall, and then going on to claim the other thrones of the surrounding Kingdoms. The war in Sarain was started by Kerrigor and his hate demons, and spurred on by the hate instilled in the people there. Had any of the fighters stopped to think about what they were doing, the curse would have been lifted, but blinded as they were by their hate, none could see the end. Yet Alanna and Sabriel stopped the invasion, with out knowing they were doing so, but they did it anyways." Lirael's body shook as the vision of the past released her, and Sanar caught her.

"So you stopped needing the mirror, then?"

"No, in order for me to find out something I still have to use it, but the mirror has a tendency to use me when it wills. I was doing research and the mirror was created by the fifth of the seven, and, as I found out when I was in the library alone one day, it does whatever it wants. It can give me visions if it is so inclined."

"Great. First Kibeth, then Dyrim, now Belgaer, walker, talker, thinker; are we going to get the binder and the weeper next? When is it going to end?"

"Yes, you know that as well as I; and never, that's our blessing and our curse." Jon cleared his throat.

"Well that's all fine and great, but there was no Dracaena Maxima at my coronation."

"Yes there was." Said Kel; she looked directly at Alanna. "Think Alanna. Who was at the coronation? You know exactly who I am talking about, for there are ways for the Dracaena Maxima to get around his or her fear of magic, even if that is what they are meant to do." Alanna blanched.

"Liam." Alanna's voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Unfortunately yes; that is often the fate of the Dracaena Maxima, for they are only reborn when they are truly needed and times are going to get very rough." She turned to Jonathan. "Sire, the Dracaena Maxima is usually a female, although there were no women alive at the time to take up the roll, so the title was handed to Liam, after he finished his Shang training and before he went on his year abroad. He was the best Shang Dragon because the Dracaena school only lets you go when your fighting skills are perfect." Jonathan nodded his understanding, while Eda asked one question.

"But if Liam was afraid of magic, how could he have the title? Everything you are taught is centered on magic."

"The role of the Dracaena Maxima is to kill the sorcerer and the necromancer, and to stop the dead. Liam was able to be selected because the Clayr saw only one future, and Alanna was prophesied to slay Duke Roger and Sabriel already had a bone to pick with Kerrigor, so she was able to finish him off with just a little help from the Clayr. Therefore, all Liam had to do was make sure that Roger and his henchmen, namely the one called Claw, Ralon of Malven, were dead. Alanna had taken care of Roger; Jon had told him so; therefore, he could put all of his energy into fighting to keep the King safe." Lirael fell quiet, though she did not hide behind her hair as she once would have done. Lord Wyldon finally spoke.

"I do not believe you have the skills you say you do." He directed this at Kel. "You were not good enough your year here, why should you have gotten any better?" He winced, as the eyes of Shang, Alanna and Raoul, Neal and Roald, and of Kel's parents turned to stare at him with hate in their eyes.

"If you do not believe me, Lord Wyldon, why do you not fight me? I will except any challenge from anyone in the palace and I will win. THAT is my blessing and my curse. Choose your men, I will fight them all. Although a gentleman would fight me himself." Wyldon blanched as Kel's eyes narrowed and turned to the color of blood, but otherwise she could have been having a simple chat about the weather. Alanna stared at her in wonder.

"Your eyes…" She said. Kel startled, looked up at Alanna as her eyes turned back to their normal shade of hazel. "They do the same thing Liam's did. They change color."

"My eyes changed? Well they must have to have you mention it, yes, that is one of the powers of the Dracaena Maxima. I did not realize I was that angry. Forgive me, as we follow Monsieur Stump to find his challengers. That is, if he will not fight me himself, which would the proper thing to do, especially since he was not enough of a gentleman to let me stay here after I met all of his requirements." Wyldon stared back at Kel, eye for eye.

"Come. I will find you your challengers." He led her to the mess hall for pages and squires. "We seek a challenger for the young lady here. Would anyone like to have a go?" Kel smirked as she noticed that Wyldon forgot her title. She stepped out from behind the man where she had been standing and surveyed the room. Her eyes came to rest on Joren of Stone Mountain. In the years after she left, she had learned that Joren had been late to his forth year page examinations and had to repeat the entire year. Now he would have been one of her year mates, and she glared at him from behind her mask. Joren stood up.

"I will fight with the lady." He said with a sneer. Kel bowed to him, only slightly, the equivalent of addressing a minor.

"Agreed."

"Ten gold crowns when you loose."

"And the same from you when I win." Kel grinned wolfishly, spun on her heel, and walked out the door. Looking over her shoulder, she called, "Well? Are you coming?" Flustered, Joren started after her. When he reached the practice courts Kel was already stretching in a far corner with the Queen, the Champion, three unidentified women, a black cat, a white cat and a young man. Neal walked over as Joren looked on.

"My dear Kel, is this really going to prove a point?" He didn't wait for an answer. "Now, Joren's fighting style has not changed much since your year here. Just do whatever it is that you do and be done with it. He is twice as easily angered as before, since he didn't get to run you off himself."

"Kel." Lirael was on the left, speaking softly. "Look behind you." Kel turned around and saw the one person she had not expected to see. Yasmine, her training mistress.

"Don't bother with me girl, just remember what I taught you. And one more thing, don't use magic. You know you want to beat him fairly. And if anyone here sees you do magic, they will call you a cheater. You know how much I hate that word." Kel bowed deeply to Yasmine to show her acceptance of what she had been told, and to show respect and honor to the words. "Just play by our rules and you'll be fine. I'll make sure there is no interference in the fight." Yasmine hopped the fence and strode directly onto the court. She grinned at Kel and started the introductions. "Today we are here to see a fight between my very own Dracaena Maxima Keladry of Mindelan, and her challenger Joren of Stone Mountain.

"Let's have a clean bout, no magic is to be used by the competitors, and no magic is to be used by the watchers to help or hinder either competitor in any way. I will know if you do and I will be very displeased." Kel visibly cringed, and Yasmine looked around. A tall man with black hair looked ready to explode, and a grey- haired woman was fighting her way towards the fences. Yasmine grinned, some people never changed.

"Yazzy! Kel said you wouldn't be here for another week!"

"My plans changed, as the best laid plans often do." Eda jumped the fence and came over to hug Yasmine. The man with coal black hair shouted,

"And just who, may I ask, are you?"

"Yasmine Ishiyama at your service sir; I am the training mistress at the Dracaena School and cousin to Miss Eda Bell."

"You have a cousin Eds? Cool!" Haukin's voice came from the sidelines.

"Yes you overgrown child, I have family." To the quirked eyebrow of the woman beside her, she said, "Haukin Seastone, Shang Horse, Yamani, fellow teacher of pages."

Yasmine started to smile, but quickly changed it to a frown as Kel started swearing under her breath in several languages. Suddenly the cats started meowing, well Dyrim did, and Mogget yowled. Lirael, Sanar, Ryelle and Sam had worried looks on their faces and then Yasmine felt what they felt; the pressure of several hundred dead, newly out of death, less than half a day away. All six people's eyes locked at once, and a simultaneous 'they're coming' issued from eight mouths, six humans and two cats. Kel walked to the center of the court, and looked right up at King Jonathan, her voice loud and clear.

"Sire, I am afraid we won't have time for this now. I must ask that you go to the great hall and barricade yourselves in, with anyone who is too old, too young, or simply unable to wield a weapon, any weapon." Kel didn't look to see if her orders were obeyed. Instead she turned to her people and started issuing orders to them. "We have an army coming sooner than we had planned. I had hoped to make more paperwings and teach some people to fly them, but there's no time. We currently have fifteen hundred hands, thirty shadow hands, eight mordicants, and Carcerous coming at us. They are less than ten hours away. I want Sanar and Ryelle to ready the paperwings for flight. Mogget and Dyrim fetch my bandolier and Sam's Pipes. Sam, put extra strength in the castle walls, I want those walls unclimbable; nothing, I repeat nothing is to get in here. I'll take care of the swords, and Lirael you know what to do."

"Kel, we have our own swords," protested Neal.

"Yes, but they won't do anything against what we are about to face and there is no time for Sam to spell your swords and the walls against the dead."

"What are these things Kel?" questioned Alanna; Kel sighed.

"Dead hands are corpses that our lovely necromancers have allowed dead spirits to reanimate. They are completely subject to the necromancer's will and are only dangerous so long as they have bodies. Shadow hands are spirits brought back from the dead with better spells so they don't need bodies, but cannot exist in direct sunlight. Surround them with fire and they are forced back in to the void. A mordicant is a creature of the forth or fifth precincts, sometimes farther. They are horrid creatures with great teeth and claws, and they are the servants of the necromancer. A necromancer is a person who plays with the bodies of the dead, and the spirits. Carcerous is a necromancer, as is Lirael, though not of the same means. While others seek to raise the dead, she lays them back to rest. She is the Abhorsen-in-waiting, as her sister, Sabriel is the current Abhorsen." Alanna accepted this information stoically, and like the seasoned warrior she was, didn't question the information, grabbed a sword, tested it, and satisfied that it was of good weight, walked a distance away to begin to learn its quirks. The men around Kel, the newer knights, blanched at the facts, but followed Alanna's example, grabbing swords and beginning to learn their strengths.

Once all the warriors had, in their possession, a magical sword, Kel jumped back up on the gypsy cart and commanded the attention of all those assembled. "I know you heard me tell Alanna what we are going up against. The dead hands can be destroyed by fire, or when their bodies are completely destroyed. The necromancer is after me, not you, so you shouldn't worry about him. However, if you are confronted by him, or a mordicant, or even a shadow hand; don't play a hero; holler like hell and either myself or one of my companions will help you. If all goes well, I'll be able to kill Carcerous before he even gets to the gates, and when he dies, all of his minions will go with him. Life is not however, easy, and in all likelihood, all of you will dirty those blades. Now, I will teach you a couple words of power to protect yourselves if you happen to be confronted by one of the more difficult creatures."


	5. Chapter 5 Teaser

**To even begin to apologize and hope I still have readers would be a joke. I wrote this little bit about a year ago and I've been trying to find it for the purposes of using it due to the fact that nothing else I tried to write between college assignments even began to work. I aim to write a lot during May and June, then I'll post it in July as I can, due to the fact that I'll have no internet during May and June. Something about being in the Middle of the Ocean is just not condusive to getting internet signal. Go figure. **

**Anyways, I'm not dead, and I do aim to finish this. Eventually.**

* * *

Lirael left Kel's enclave to do her assigned job, pausing only when Mogget, momentarily shaped like a dwarf, handed over her bell bandolier to put on and she gently felt each bell to make sure all of the tongues were stilled properly, saying the names as she touched them, Ranna the sleeper, Mosrael the waker, Kibeth the walker, Dyrim the speaker, Belgaer the thinker, Saraneth the binder, Astarael the sorrowful. Lirael felt a slight pang as her fingers ran over Kibeth, she missed the dog, though the four years since the binding of Orannis had dulled the pain of the lost of her first friend and pet. Her fingers ran over the poch where the small statue was carried with her always. A second sigh escaped when the statue was a shard as it ever was, it would have been nice to have her friend for this.

Lirael's path took her in pasted the gate to the back corner of a stable with a shield pattern on it where she found the easiest path to death. An icy layer ran over her body as she pushed through death's trials. Somewhere past the waves of the third precinct she became aware of something following her.


End file.
